Joe Dirt Cast: Where The Actors Are Now

"Joe Dirt" hit theaters in 2001, and despite being hated by critics, the comedy was a modest box office success. Over the years, it gained a cult following and is now considered one of the best low-brow comedies of its era. Starring "Saturday Night Live" alum David Spade, "Joe Dirt" follows a down-on-his-luck janitor who ends up telling his life story to a radio host. The film was written by Spade and Fred Wolf, and was directed by Dennie Gordon. 

After being left at the Grand Canyon as a kid, Joe sets out on a quest to find his family, making eccentric friends along the way. Joe is seen as a "white trash" loser, and he often gets made fun of for his out-of-date mullet, which is revealed to be a wig used to cover the fact that he was born without the top of his skull. 

A lot of famous faces show up in "Joe Dirt," and many moments from the film have become pop culture staples. In fact, Spade reprised his role in a sequel titled "Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser" in 2015. Unfortunately, the follow-up was not well-received, even by fans of the original.  

Here's what the cast of "Joe Dirt" has been up to since 2001, including whether or not they appeared in the 2015 sequel.

Erik Per Sullivan was a child actor best known for playing Dewey in "Malcolm in the Middle." "Joe Dirt" was released during the sitcom's second season and saw Sullivan playing young Joe Dirt. After young Joe was left at the Grand Canyon, he lived in various foster homes, where he was treated poorly.

Sullivan went on to appear in the film "Unfaithful" and an episode of "The King of Queens." He voiced Sheldon in "Finding Nemo" and Baby Bug/Mino in "Arthur and the Invisibles." "Malcolm in the Middle" came to an end in 2006, and Sullivan's final acting role was in Joel Schumacher's 2010 movie, "Twelve" (see above). He has since retired from acting.

A "Malcolm in the Middle" follow-up series titled "Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair" is coming to Disney+ and Hulu in 2026, but Sullivan is the only original star who's not returning. The revival series replaced the Dewey actor with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark. However, Sullivan still keeps in touch with his former "Malcolm in the Middle" co-stars. Bryan Cranston appeared on David Spade's "Fly on the Wall" podcast in 2025 and revealed that Sullivan was in the midst of getting his Master's degree at Harvard. 

Fred Wolf co-wrote "Joe Dirt" with David Spade and had an uncredited role in the film as Freddy the Producer, appearing in the radio station scenes alongside Spade and Dennis Miller. Before making the film, Wolf worked with Spade on "Saturday Night Live" as a writer. He also wrote "Black Sheep," which starred Spade and Chris Farley. 

After "Joe Dirt," Wolf went on to co-write "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," "Strange Wilderness," "Grown Ups," and "Grown Ups 2." He also directed "Stranger Wilderness" and "The House Bunny." In 2015, he co-wrote "Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser" with Spade. He also directed the sequel and cameoed as Airplane Tech #1 (see above). Wolf's most recent credit was directing and co-writing the film "40-Love."

In 2012, it was announced that Sony and Happy Madison were teaming up to make a movie based on Tonka Trucks. Wolf was attached to write the script, but the project never came to fruition. 

Caroline Aaron appeared in "Joe Dirt" as the titular character's mother. After spending his life trying to locate his parents, Joe was eventually told by his friend Brandy (Brittany Daniel) that they had died. Turns out, she lied to protect him when she learned they were terrible people. After hearing Joe on the radio, his parents reached out to him, but it became clear they were only interested in his newfound fame. Joe then discovered that he'd been left at the Grand Canyon on purpose. Originally, the scene with Joe's parents was filmed with Roseanne Barr playing his mother. There are conflicting reports as to why the role was recast and reshot. 

Aaron's acting career began in the early '80s, so she had many credits to her name before appearing in "Joe Dirt." After playing Joe's mom, her film appearances included "Pumpkin," "Along Came Polly," "21 Jump Street," "Hello, My Name Is Doris," and "Theatre Camp." Her television credits include episodes of "Six Feet Under," "7th Heaven," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Entourage," "Grey's Anatomy," "Desperate Housewives," "Modern Family," and "The Good Fight." 

Aaron is best known for playing Shirley Maisel on "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," which earned her two Actor Awards (previously called SAG Awards). She can currently be seen playing Carol on the sitcom "Ghosts," one of the best TV shows about ghosts despite not involving any horror. 

Fred Ward appeared in "Joe Dirt" as the main character's father. Joe's parents' cruel behavior ultimately helped Joe realize the importance of found family. Originally, the scene with Joe's parents was filmed with Gary Busey playing his father.  

Ward started his career in Hollywood in the early 1970s. By the time "Joe Dirt" was released, he was already known for an array of projects such as "The Right Stuff," "Tremors," and "Short Cuts." In 1994, he won the Golden Globe's "Special Award" along with the rest of the "Short Cuts" cast.  After his "Joe Dirt" role in 2001, his credits included "Enough," "Sweet Home Alabama," "Grey's Anatomy," "ER," "United States of Tara," and "True Detective."  

Sadly, the veteran character actor passed away in 2022 at age 79. Ward's final acting credit was reprising his role of Earl Bassett in a 2018 "Tremors" TV movie that was never broadcast.

Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Dennis Miller appeared in "Joe Dirt" as radio host Zander Kelly. He spends the film interviewing Joe while consistently making fun of him. At the time, Miller was a well-known comedian who got his start after being beaten by "Good Burger 2" actor Sinbad on "Star Search." 

After "Joe Dirt," Miller played himself in various projects, including "WWE Raw," "The Campaign," and "House of Cards." His writing credits also include an array of specials as well as "Dennis Miller Live," his talk show that ran from 1994 to 2002. He's been nominated for 16 Emmys and won five. 

Miller has become known as an outspoken conservative. He hosted various talk show series for HBO and CNBC between 2007 and 2015. In 2020, he launched "Dennis Miller + One," which aired on RT America. In 2024, he came out of semi-retirement to host "The Infomercials That Sold Us" for Fox Nation. His last appearance was as a panelist on "Gutfeld!" in 2024. 

In 2015, Miller reprised his role of Zander Kelly in "Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser."

"Total Request Live" host Carson Daly made many cameos as himself during the height of his career, and continues to do so today. In "Joe Dirt," the titular character came on "TRL" after becoming famous for his radio appearance. Daly's cameo in the film was uncredited. That same year, Daly made his most famous cameo in "Josie and the Pussycats." While playing himself, he tried to kill Tara Reid's Melody Valentine, which was poking fun at the fact that he and Reid were famously dating in real life. 

Daly played himself again in "Sabrina the Teenage Witch," "It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," "Pauly Shore Is Dead," "My Name Is Earl," "Step Up: Revolution," "Girls5eva," and more. MTV briefly rebooted "TRL" in 2017, but Daly was not involved.

Daly has had many longtime hosting gigs, including NBC's "New Year's Eve" broadcast, which he led from 2004 to 2020. He joined "Today" as a social media correspondent in 2013, and he's been hosting "The Voice" since the show's inception in 2011. Since the reality competition show debuted, Daly has been nominated for 11 Emmys, winning four.

Kevin Nealon is another "Saturday Night Live" alum who appeared in "Joe Dirt." The comedian made an uncredited cameo in the film as a mechanic who gives the titular character a hard time when he tries to retrieve his Hemi. 

Nealon began acting in the '80s and went on to appear in many films starring "SNL" cast members, including "Coneheads" and "Happy Gilmore." He was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1987 for writing on "SNL." After "Joe Dirt," his credits included "The Master of Disguise," "Monk," "Eight Crazy Nights," "Daddy Day Care," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Just Go With It," "The League," "Blended," and "Sandy Wexler." 

Nealon's biggest credit since his "SNL" days was starring in "Weeds" alongside Mary-Louise Parker from 2005 to 2012. Throughout the show's run, he was nominated for two Actor Awards (formerly SAG Awards) for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.  

Nealon's most recent credit was reprising his role as Gary Potter in "Happy Gilmore 2," a sequel that Netflix paid an absurd amount of money to make happen.

Adam Beach co-starred in "Joe Dirt" as Kicking Wing, the fireworks salesman who takes Joe's advice about what to sell at his stand. This ultimately helps Kicking Wing franchise his business, and he becomes one of the good friends who meet up with Joe at the end of the film in his beloved home, Silvertown. The Saulteaux Anishinaabe actor got his start in Hollywood in the early '90s and was best known for "Smoke Signals" before his role in "Joe Dirt."

After the 2001 comedy was released, Beach went on to appear in "Windtalkers," "Skinwalkers," "Flags of Our Fathers," "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," "Big Love," "Suicide Squad," "Nancy Drew," "The New Mutants," and "Avatar: The Last Airbender." He also played Edward Nappo in "The Power of the Dog," which won Best Director at the Oscars — and nothing else. In 2008, Beach was nominated for a Golden Globes for his performance in "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." 

In 2015, Beach appeared in "Joe Dirt 2" as a revamped version of his character, now named Kicking Ass. He comes to Joe in a dream and reveals he now sells drugs instead of fireworks.

In "Joe Dirt," Jaime Pressly plays Jill, a woman Joe meets while he is working as a carny. They are instantly sexually attracted to each other, and Joe sleeps with her despite suspecting she might be his long-lost sister. Thankfully, that does not turn out to be the case. Pressly's Hollywood career began in the mid-1990s, and 2001 turned out to be a significant year for her. In addition to "Joe Dirt," she also had a big role in "Not Another Teen Movie." 

The following year, Pressly starred in Aerosmith's "Girls of Summer" music video. Her subsequent credits include "Torque," "Evil Knievel," "Cruel World," "Horton Hears a Who!," "I Love You, Man," and "I Hate My Teenage Daughter," as well as episodes of "Two and a Half Men," "BoJack Horseman," and "The Conners."  She is best known for co-starring in the sitcoms "My Name Is Earl" and "Mom," the former of which earned her an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007. She also earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role the following year. "My Name Was Earl" was ultimately canceled by NBC despite being a success. 

Pressly's most recent credit was a 2025 episode of "Elsbeth."

By the time "Joe Dirt" was released, Robert Ritchie, aka Kid Rock, was already an established musician. The year before "Joe Dirt," he had been nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammys and received another nomination in 2001 for Best Hard Rock Performance. In "Joe Dirt," Kid Rock played Robby, one of Joe's biggest bullies, who was determined to keep him away from Brandy (Brittany Daniel). 

Kid Rock had done no prior acting before "Joe Dirt," aside from voicing himself in an episode of "The Simpsons." He later lent his voice to "Osmosis Jones," "King of the Hill," and "Striperella." He also played himself in episodes of "Fat Actress," "CSI: NY," and "Silicon Valley." For the last decade, Kid Rock's only acting credits have been for his own music videos, most recently "Never Quit" in 2022. 

While Kid Rock once offered David Spade financial help to make "Joe Dirt 2" (via Rolling Stone), the musician was unable to appear in the sequel. The bully role in the follow-up ended up going to Sugar Ray frontman Mark McGrath. In recent years, Kid Rock has become known for his avid support of Donald Trump, making appearances on Fox News programs such as "One Nation."

Rosanna Arquette is another famous name who had an uncredited role in "Joe Dirt." She played Charlene, the owner of an alligator farm where Joe briefly worked. Charlene was unhappy working with gators and eventually became one of the friends who joined Joe in Silvertown. There, she met Anthony Benedetti/Clem Doore/Gert B. Frobe (Christopher Walken), and they became engaged.

Arquette was raised in a performing family, and she and her siblings were all well-known by the time "Joe Dirt" was released. Her credits already included "Pulp Fiction," and she'd been nominated for an Emmy for "The Executioner's Song" in 1983. She also won a BAFTA Award for "Desperately Seeking Susan" in 1986 and was nominated the following year for "After Hours," a Martin Scorsese classic that was almost directed by Tim Burton.

After "Joe Dirt," Arquette went on to appear in episodes of "Will & Grace," "Malcolm in the Middle," "Grey's Anatomy," "The L Word," "Medium" (which starred her sister, Patricia Arquette), "Ray Donovan," and "Florida Man." Her most recent credit was the 2025 film "Grapefruit."

Brittany Daniel co-starred in "Joe Dirt" as Brandy, Joe's lovable best friend from Silvertown. Joe doesn't realize Brandy is in love with him because he thinks she's out of his league. He's also tricked by Randy (Kid Rock) into thinking she doesn't care about him, but the film ends with them getting their romantic happily ever after.

By 2001, Daniel was best known for "Sweet Valley High," which she starred in alongside her twin sister, Cynthia. After "Joe Dirt," Daniel went on to appear in episodes of "That '70s Show," "Just Shoot Me!," and "Black-ish." Many might know her as Carmen from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," a role she wasn't originally supposed to play. Her film credits include "Club Dread," "White Chicks," and "Skyline." Her most recent appearance was in the 2022 Disney+ remake of "Cheaper by the Dozen."

In 2015, Daniel reprised her role as Brandy in "Joe Dirt 2." After starting their life together in Silvertown, Joe and Brandy have triplets. However, things go awry when Joe starts to feel he isn't good enough for his family. In an attempt to look brave during a twister, he gets caught up in a storm that transports him through time. The timeline gets distorted, and Brandy ends up unhappily married to Joe's bully, Jimmy (Mark McGrath). Ultimately, Joe sets things right, and the couple is reunited. 

Christopher Walken is first introduced in "Joe Dirt" as Joe's co-worker, Clem Doore. They work as janitors at a school, but when Clem saves students from mustard gas, it's revealed he's actually a mobster named Anthony Benedetti who is in the Witness Protection Program. After being discovered, he fakes his own death and moves to Silvertown under a new name, Gert B. Frobe. 

Walken is easily the biggest actor to appear in "Joe Dirt." His vast career began in the 1950s, and he now has over 140 acting credits to his name. Long before "Joe Dirt," Walken won an Academy Award for "The Deer Hunter" in 1979. After the 2001 comedy, he went on to make "Catch Me If You Can," which earned him another Oscar nomination as well as a BAFTA Award win. His follow-up credits include "Man on Fire," "Hairspray," "The Jungle Book," and "Dune: Part Two." His most recent credit was playing Bert Goodman in "Severance," which earned him an Emmy nomination. (It was another "Severance" actor who convinced the show's creators to cast Walken.)

Walken returned for "Joe Dirt 2," this time as his original persona, Anthony Benedetti. While Joe is traveling through time, he ends up in the 1970s and meets Anthony during his mob days. 

David Spade not only played the titular role in "Joe Dirt," but he also co-wrote the film. The project marked Spade's first time in a solo starring role after appearing alongside Chris Farley in "Tommy Boy" and "Black Sheep." Farley died in 1997, and Spade was told he wouldn't make it without his comedy co-star. That same year, he began starring in the sitcom "Just Shoot Me!," which ran until 2003.

Spade, who was a stand-up comic and "SNL" cast member before "Joe Dirt," went on to star in "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star," "8 Simple Rules," "Benchwarmers," "Grown Ups," "Rules of Engagement," "The Wrong Missy," and more. Spade recently took part in the "SNL" 50th celebration and currently hosts the "Fly on the Wall" podcast alongside Dana Carvey. Spade's most recent stand-up special, "Dandelion," was released in 2025. 

"Joe Dirt 2: A Beautiful Loser" came to fruition in 2015 because Sony hoped it would help boost their streaming site, Crackle. Spade explained in a Reddit AMA that they wanted to be "the first web address to do a sequel to a movie." Despite getting terrible reviews, it remained the most-viewed Crackle original until the site shut down in 2025.